Television: Local Broadcasting

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what research his Department has undertaken to assess the economic impact of a new national television spine for local television in terms of (a) local economic growth and (b) creation of local advertising markets.

Edward Vaizey: The commercial viability review published in December 2010 carried out by Nicholas Shott, head of UK investment banking at Lazard, looked at a wide range of issues including economic impact and local advertising markets. The costs and benefits of the Government's preferred approach will be set out in due course.

Times of Sittings

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what additional costs were incurred by the House of Commons Service in consequence of the continuation of the sitting of the House on Tuesday 3 May between 10.30 pm and 4.34 am on the next day.

John Thurso: Full details will not be available until all expenditure claims have been processed: It is likely that many of these will not be received until the end of May. The figures currently available include late night transport costs after 11 pm of £2,708 and estimated Hansard printing costs of £2,162. I will write to the hon. Member with further details once they are known.

Empty Property

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to bring disused residential properties back into use; and what strategy his Department has developed to ensure that such areas of multiple deprivation become sustainable and socially-mixed communities.

Andrew Stunell: The Government are committed to exploring a full range of measures to bring empty homes back into use. As part of this we recently announced that the New Homes Bonus—which rewards local authorities for new housing development—will include both new homes and empty properties brought back into use. This means that an authority will receive the same bonus for bringing an empty home back into use as for the building of a new home.
	We have also allocated £100 million capital funding to tackle some of the most difficult empty homes. Proposals for how these funds will be distributed are currently being developed and a further announcement will be made once the detail of this proposal has been finalised.
	Government are also taking a new approach to regeneration and growth—putting residents, local businesses, civil society organisations and civil leaders in the driving seat. We are providing them with local rewards and incentives to drive growth and improve the social and physical quality of their areas.

Gurkhas: Resettlement

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  (a) how many and (b) which local authorities have submitted requests to his Department for additional resources to support newly-settled former Gurkhas;
	(2)  if he will assess the living conditions of former Gurkhas who have settled in the UK since 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will assess the resources required to support newly-settled former Gurkhas; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: The Government have recognised the issue of inward migration and the potential difficulties that this can cause in some areas. In the past, population figures did not accurately reflect the extent of general immigration. However, for the first time Formula Grant is informed by more accurate and timely population estimates developed through Phase 1 of the Migration Statistics Improvement Programme. This means that those areas that have experienced increased population growth over recent years will receive a larger grant allocation. At the same time, the Government have reduced ring fencing and ended costly central reporting requirements. These changes mean local authorities themselves will be able in future to decide how best to address the impacts of immigration on their areas.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), recognises the difficulties some local authorities are experiencing as a result of specifically Nepalese migration. He has met with representatives from Rushmoor borough council to discuss this, and has offered to speak to the Local Government Association to see how local authorities can work together to attract those settling in this country to a wider area. The Cross Government Working Group on Gurkhas has also been reconvened at the Prime Minister's request to continue to monitor the concerns and challenges created by the 2009 immigration policy change for Gurkhas.
	Local authorities have powers, under the Housing Act 2004, to assess the risks and hazards in residential properties using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. If a property is found to contain serious (category 1) hazards, the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action. This could range from trying to deal with the problems informally at first to prohibiting the use of the whole or part of the dwelling. This system provides an important safety net, ensuring that homes are safe and free of hazards which pose a significant risk to the occupant. It is in local authority's interests to collect information across all housing tenures through housing condition surveys and to decide on the best approach for their area.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on special advisers' travel by (a) Government car, (b) private hire car, (c) train, (d) bus, (e) commercial aircraft and (f) private aircraft since May 2010.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office has spent the following amounts on special advisers' travel from May 2010 to 16 May 2011:
	(a) Government car: Nil;
	(b) Private hire car: Nil;
	(c) Train: £974.06;
	(d) Bus: Nil;
	(e) Commercial aircraft: £16,508.67;
	(f) Private aircraft: Nil.
	Unlike the previous Administration which routinely used a private jet for travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by the Secretary of State, all such journeys since this Administration came to office have been taken on commercial aircraft at a considerable saving to the taxpayer.

Syria: Politics and Government

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his counterparts in governments in the middle east and (b) international bodies on the political situation in Syria.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 17 May 2011
	We continue to discuss the situation in Syria with our international partners including in the middle east, at the UN and within the European Union. In those discussions we underline the importance of condemning the violence against civilians who are expressing their views in peaceful protests, the need for the Syrian authorities to show restraint and to respond to the legitimate demands of people with immediate and genuine reform, not brutal repression.
	The UK was heavily engaged in the European Union decision to impose a travel ban and assets freeze on 13 individuals in the Syrian regime who are responsible for the violence. On Friday the Syrian ambassador to London was told that if the violence does not stop immediately and all political prisoners are released, the EU would take further measures including sanctions targeted at the highest levels of the Government. Alongside this action in the EU we are working to convince others that the UN Security Council should send an unequivocal message of condemnation of the situation and call for urgent political reform.

Uganda: Homosexuality

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had made to the government of Uganda on proposed legislation imposing the death penalty in respect of certain homosexual acts in that country.

Henry Bellingham: The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, introduced in the Ugandan Parliament by a private Member, was not passed during the parliamentary term which has just concluded. It remains to be seen whether the private Member will introduce the Bill in the next Ugandan Parliament.
	I called Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa on 11 May 2011 to raise our strong concerns about the contents of this private Member’s Bill. In its most recent form, the Bill would have further criminalised homosexuality in Uganda by introducing new criminal sanctions for members of sexual minorities and those who promote their rights. This in turn would have a broader, negative impact on the human rights of all Ugandans.
	Along with international partners, our high commission in Kampala has lobbied senior Ministers in the Ugandan Government, including the Prime Minister, over a long period of time to make our position clear on the importance of respect for the rights of sexual minorities worldwide, and in doing so we have made clear that we will not deviate from this position.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Attorney-General what the name is of each contractor or supplier of (a) mobile telephone and (b) mobile data services to the Law Officers' Departments.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is outlined as follows:
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) order mobile phones and mobile data services via the CPS telephony contractor, Global Crossing. Their service provider is Vodafone.
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol) is supplied with mobile telephones by Vodaphone, and supplied with mobile data services by Vodafone and Orange.
	The Attorney-General's Office (AGO), Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), are supplied with mobile phones and mobile data services by Vodafone.

Equality Act 2010

William Bain: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the potential effect on women (a) in work, (b) in training and (c) in the provision of services of the decision not to implement the dual discrimination provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: Women who have experienced discrimination at work, in training or in the provision of goods and services, because of more than one protected characteristic will still be able to bring one or more single characteristic claims.
	It is not possible to estimate the number of claims that would not, succeed as single characteristic claims but would succeed because of dual discrimination.

Coroners

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the evidential basis on which his decision not to implement the Office of the Chief Coroner was based; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The costs of full implementation of the Office of Chief Coroner and Part One of the Coroners and Justice Act (which provides for the creation of the office) have been estimated at £6.5 million per year and £10.9 million set-up costs (including a shadow running year). I have now placed a breakdown of these costs in the House Library. The Ministry of Justice's spending review settlement has no provision for the office of the Chief Coroner.

Corruption

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2011, Official Report, column 453W, on corruption, which colleagues in other departments, non-governmental organisations and other national and international stakeholders he has met to discuss his role as the UK's international anti-corruption champion.

Kenneth Clarke: Although it is not constitutional practice to disclose details of ministerial discussions, I can confirm that I have discussed my role as the UK's international anti-corruption champion with Cabinet colleagues, Transparency International UK and the Bond Governance group, as well as the US Attorney-General and an academic in the field. I have also discussed the implementation of the Bribery Act with officials from the OECD.

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department plans to cease to fund any of its functions over the period of the comprehensive spending review.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office during 2010-11 implemented a wide range of measures to reduce cost which will provide benefits throughout the spending review period. Key among these has been the creation of the Efficiency and Reform Group, which has brought together a range of functions allowing it to drive substantial efficiencies and reforms in civil service HR, ICT, commercial and procurement, estates and other support functions. The ERG has also changed the way in which these functions are carried out as between the Centre and Departments, allowing it over the two years to 31 March 2012 to reduce the headcount and cost of its aggregated functions by around one-third. The ERG has now embarked on substantial reforms of arrangements for learning and development within the civil service, affecting the National School for Government; for procurement by Government Departments, affecting Buying Solutions; and government marketing and advertising, affecting the Central Office of Information.
	Further savings will come from changes to the structure of and programmes run by the Office for Civil Society (OCS). Some functions of the former Social Exclusion Taskforce ceased when OCS was formed. These included responsibility for social exclusion policy and a number of community-related grant programmes (e.g. grassroots grants, community assets fund) which have now been realigned with this Government's priorities.
	Elsewhere within the Department, other structural changes have flowed from the review of arm's length bodies. In particular, two sponsored non-departmental public bodies (Capacitybuilders and Commissioner for the Compact) have also been closed. There have also been smaller scale changes within the National Security Secretariat flowing from the creation of the National Security Council and Office of Cyber Security, and publication of this Government's National Security Strategy.

Departmental Responsibilities

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when officials in his Department last met representatives of (a) Serco, (b) Capita, (c) A4e and (d) G4S; what aspects of Government policy were discussed at such meetings; and whether future meetings with those companies are planned.

Francis Maude: Officials in the Cabinet Office meet with a variety of companies and outside interest groups on a regular basis. Details of all such meetings are not held centrally and to collate this in the form requested would incur disproportionate cost.
	Details of meetings between Permanent Secretaries and outside interest groups are published quarterly on the Cabinet Office website and are available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cabinet-office-permanent-secretaries%E2%80%99-meetings-external-organisations

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date special advisers in his Department last used the Government car pool to travel in an official capacity; and on how many occasions a special adviser in his Department has travelled to their home address using the Government car pool since May 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not hold details of which occasions the special adviser travelled in a government car. The Scotland Office no longer has a contract with the Government Car Service.

Scottish Grand Committee

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to bring forward proposals for a meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Moore: The Scottish Grand Committee has not met since 2003. The possibility of the committee meeting is always kept under review.

Hydrofluorocarbons

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to her Department's Carbon Plan, March 2011, paragraph 10.13, what progress she has made on reducing the (a) production and (b) use of hydrofluorocarbon in (i) the refrigeration industry and (ii) heat pumps.

Richard Benyon: A comprehensive EU regulatory framework to contain, prevent and, thereby, reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from equipment such as refrigeration and heat pumps is already in place having been fully implemented since 2009 in Great Britain by the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/261). However, this framework stops short of controls to phase down the production of the gases themselves.
	There are existing proposals at an international level to use the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to phase down the production and use of HFCs. This would affect all types of equipment, not just refrigeration and heat pumps. The UK Government remains supportive, in principle, of an international phase-down of production and consumption of HFCs but there are many technical issues to be discussed before any formal negotiations on a phase-down could take place. The Government will continue to push for the development of a phase-down agreement at the upcoming Montreal Protocol and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings, and support this aim. Further detailed analysis of impacts of the proposals will also be conducted.
	The latest estimate of HFC emissions from refrigeration, based on the assessment by the consultants AEA, available at:
	http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/air/fgas/documents/hfc-aeat101005.pdf
	was 4,336.7 kt CO2e in 2009(1). The latest projections of HFC emissions from refrigeration in 2030 is 1,693.9 kt CO2e.
	The AEA study also estimated that 0.06 kt CO2 eq. of HFC 134a would be emitted from heat pumps in 2009, rising to 0.16 kt CO2 eq. of HFC134a by 2025. It should be noted that these estimates are highly uncertain, and are very small in relation to HFC emissions from the other sectors. These estimates of emissions are currently not included in either the main F-gas model or the UK national greenhouse gas emission totals, and further work is needed to refine the fundamental parameters before the emissions from this sector can be included.
	(1) UK GHG Inventory 1990-2009

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her proposals for further restrictions on the sale of alcohol to children will apply to micro-businesses.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 May 2011
	We have made provision in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill to tackle the persistent sales of alcohol to children. Our intention is that these measures will apply to all businesses.

Antisocial Behaviour

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to give a right of redress against enforcement authorities to persons who have been subject to antisocial behaviour in circumstances where complaints of such behaviour have not been addressed appropriately.

James Brokenshire: On 7 February 2011, the Home Office launched a public consultation on proposals to give the police and their partners more effective powers to tackle antisocial behaviour. The proposals include the introduction of a “Community Trigger”, which would give communities the right to force agencies to take action where they have failed to do so and elected police and crime commissioners will be able to hold agencies to account for their response. The consultation closed on 17 May, and the Department is considering the responses.

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department are working on the Government's review of the 2010 Drugs Strategy; and whether such officials have met representatives of (a) Serco, (b) Capita, (c) A4e and (d) G4S.

James Brokenshire: The terms of the annual review are still being scoped. No officials have met with the organisations listed.

Hospitals

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the productivity of (a) military and (b) NHS hospitals.

Simon Burns: United Kingdom national health service productivity is measured by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and most recent estimates from 1996 are given in the following table.
	
		
			 Growth in UK NHS productivity 1996   to   2009 
			  Percentage 
			 1996 -1.4 
			 1997 0.4 
			 1998 -0.6 
			 1999 0.5 
			 2000 -0.5 
			 2001 1.6 
			 2002 -2.0 
			 2003 -1.6 
			 2004 -0.4 
			 2005 0.1 
			 2006 1.3 
			 2007 -0.6 
			 2008 -0.1 
			 2009 0.7 
			 Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to one decimal place.  2. Figures contain data from all UK countries.  3. Figures include some adjustments for the quality of care delivered.  Source:  Hardie M; et al (2011) Public Service Output, Inputs and Productivity: Healthcare, ONS. 
		
	
	The National Audit Office as part of their work for the Public Accounts Committee asked ONS to disaggregate their measure of productivity to show the trend in hospital productivity from 2000 to 2008. This showed that hospital productivity has declined by an average of -1.4% per year, with an adjustment made for the quality of services. This compares to an average decline of -0.2% per year across the NHS as a whole.
	At present no data exists to compare productivity between NHS hospitals. There are no military hospitals in the UK. There are NHS hospitals with military wings, however productivity data is not collected for these wings.
	It should be noted that figures differ from the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) on 28 February 2011, Official Report, column 140W, following revisions made by ONS to the historic series in their most recent article published in March 2011.

North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has had recent discussions on the potential merger of North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust with another trust; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: No formal discussions have taken place with Ministers on a potential merger of the Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (previously North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust) with another NHS trust.
	At a Westminster Hall debate on 4 May 2011 on “Private Finance Initiative Hospitals”, the potential for the St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to merge with another NHS trust as an option for achieving foundation trust status was discussed. The Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was identified as a possible merger partner, given its geographical proximity to the St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. However, the St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is still considering all options that are available to achieve foundation trust status.
	On 16 May 2011, I briefly discussed this issue in a telephone conversation with my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington South (David Mowat).
	Work is continuing on the development of a tripartite formal agreement between St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust, North West strategic health authority and the Department to set out the agreed options that will enable the trust to obtain foundation trust status.

Driving: Insurance

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department takes to monitor trends in motor insurance premiums; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The setting of insurance premiums is a matter for the insurers based on a commercial decision. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects data on family expenditure on vehicle taxation and insurance costs, but this Department does not separately monitor premiums.
	I welcome the recent Transport Select Committee's report on “The cost of motor insurance” and agree with their conclusions on the importance of this issue and the need to look at a range of ways of reducing costs. The Department for Transport will need time to fully consider and formally respond to the report. A seminar to discuss the issues with key interested parties is being planned.

Large Goods Vehicles: Accidents

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of traffic accidents on motorways involved a heavy goods vehicle with a foreign registration in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010; and what proportion of such incidents were attributed to poor visibility or blind spots on such vehicles.

Michael Penning: The following table shows the number of reported personal injury road accidents on motorways involving foreign registered heavy goods vehicles in Great Britain in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009 (the latest data for which information is available):
	
		
			 Accidents 
			 Accidents (a) 2008 (b) 2009 
			 On motorways 7,249 6,643 
			 Of which involved a foreign registered HGV 409 354 
			    
			 Proportion involving a foreign registered HGV (percentage) 6 5 
		
	
	It is not possible to identify accidents where a blind spot of, or an area of poor visibility on, a vehicle attributed to the accident.
	However, the following table shows the number of accidents on motorways involving a foreign registered heavy goods vehicle in Great Britain where the contributory factor “vehicle blind spot” was assigned to a foreign HGV by a police officer attending the scene:
	
		
			 Accidents 
			 Accidents (a) 2008 (b) 2009 
			 On motorways(1) 6,317 5,830 
			 Of which involved a foreign registered HGV assigned the contributory factor “vehicle blind spot” 143 155 
			    
			 Proportion involving a foreign registered HGV (percentage) 2 3 
			 (1) Includes only accidents where a police officer attended the scene and in which a contributory factor was reported.

Regional Airports

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the co-ordination of Government policy on regional airports;
	(2)  which regional airports he has visited to discuss co-ordination of Government policy since 12 May 2010;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on Government policy on regional airports.

Theresa Villiers: Department for Transport Ministers attend various meetings with Ministers in other Government Departments, the operators of regional airports and the Mayor of London, where they discuss a range of issues including Government policy on aviation.
	The Government have announced their intention to develop a sustainable policy framework for UK aviation. On 30 March 2011, the Department for Transport published a scoping document that frames the debate on the future direction of aviation policy and asks a series of questions, including on regional connectivity and regional airports. The responses to the scoping document will help to inform the development of a draft framework, which we intend to publish for full public consultation in March 2012.

Children: Maintenance

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division of the Northern Ireland Executive on the Government's proposals for child maintenance reform.

Maria Miller: Officials from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission meet on a regular basis with colleagues both from the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division and Department for Social Development to discuss child maintenance related issues including plans for reform.
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division also participates in internal Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission meetings charged with preparing for the introduction of the reforms, so are integrated into the processes for implementing the Government's proposals.

Disability Assessments

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has for processing disability assessments for young disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: Over the past 18 months the Pension, Disability and Carers Service has tested a revised DLA claim form for disabled children, improved impairment specific medical guidance and revised processes. The claim form and guidance were considered a significant improvement by both customers and staff. Following the success of the test, PDCS now plans to adopt the approach nationally. Implementation will take place during the next few months.

Disability Living Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for disability living allowance there have been in each year since 1992; how many such claims are in respect of children; what the cost was to his Department of such payments in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: The information is not available in the format requested.
	We are unable to say how many claims for disability living allowance there have been for each year since 1992 as records only go back to April 2001. We are also unable to tell you how many claims are in respect of children. The information on numbers of claims which is available is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 DLA claims 
			  Number 
			 2001-02 408,000 
			 2002-03 433,000 
			 2003-04 442,000 
			 2004-05 428,000 
			 2005-06 431,000 
			 2006-07 431,000 
			 2007-08 448,000 
			 2008-09 472,000 
			 2009-10 483,000 
			 2010-11 441,000 
			 Total 4,417,000 
			 Notes:  1. The figures include DLA new claims and claims made under the DLA Special Rules.  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.  Source:  DLA Management Information Statistics. 
		
	
	Information on expenditure and caseload going back to 1992 is contained in the following tables. Some management information on numbers of claims is available but not by age group.
	
		
			 DLA expenditure, real terms 2011-12 prices 
			 £ million 
			  Children Working age Pension age Total 
			 1992-93 373 1,990 814 3,177 
			 1993-94 510 2,722 1,113 4,345 
			 1994-95 563 2,992 1,267 4,821 
			 1995-96 656 3,535 1,512 5,703 
			 1996-97 641 4,110 1,753 6,504 
			 1997-98 689 4,357 1,935 6,981 
			 1998-99 730 4,497 2,111 7,337 
			 1999-2000 767 4,614 2,281 7,661 
			 2000-01 811 4,796 2,468 8,074 
			 2001-02 880 5,046 2,672 8,599 
			 2002-03 965 5,197 2,766 8,928 
			 2003-04 977 5,403 2,955 9,335 
			 2004-05 1,009 5,544 3,125 9,678 
			 2005-06 1,087 5,730 3,324 10,140 
			 2006-07 1,107 5,832 3,483 10,422 
			 2007-08 1,151 6,051 3,717 10,920 
			 2008-09 1,191 6,247 3,896 11,334 
		
	
	
		
			 2009-10 1,260 6,650 4,223 12,133 
			 Notes:  1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.  2. More detailed DWP benefit expenditure information can be found at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure 3. Expenditure for 2010-11 is not yet available.  Source:  DWP Statistical and accounting data 
		
	
	
		
			 DLA caseloads 
			  Children Working age Pension age Total numbers 
			 August:     
			 1992(5) 95,600 557,100 290,600 1,049,100 
			 1993(5) 125,500 793,700 354,100 1,279,800 
			 1994 142,900 895,600 397,700 1,436,300 
			 1995 161,800 1,020,100 445,800 1,627,800 
			 1996 177,600 1,128,400 495,800 1,801,900 
			 1997 196,100 1,236,200 550,500 1,982,800 
			 1998 206,500 1,275,300 591,600 2,073,400 
			 1999 215,400 1,301,000 628,900 2,145,300 
			 2000 225,100 1,329,400 669,300 2,223,800 
			 2001 238,000 1,388,300 711,700 2,337,900 
			 2002 256,280 1,468,930 729,120 2,454,340 
			 2003 268,330 1,532,040 733,170 2,573,540 
			 2004 278,000 1,578,950 815,210 2,672,160 
			 2005 285,010 1,609,360 855,110 2,749,480 
			 2006 289,940 1,632,630 891,710 2,814,290 
			 2007 298,420 1,672,780 938,780 2,909,980 
			 2008 308,630 1,710,390 980,630 2,999,650 
			 2009 320,140 1,756,730 1,019,430 3,096,300 
			 2010 330,530 1,800,140 1,045,540 3,176,200 
			 Notes:  1. Figures from August 1992 to August 2001 are taken from 5% sample data. They have been uprated to be consistent with WPLS data and are rounded to the nearest 100. Figures from August 2002 onwards are taken from WPLS 100% data and are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  3. Constituencies used for August 2010 are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. Prior to this the constituencies used are for May 2005.  4. These figures are published at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool 5. State pension age. The age at which women reach state pension age will gradually increase from 60 to 65 between April 2010 and April 2020. This will introduce a small increase to the number of working age benefit recipients and a small reduction to the number of pension age recipients. Figures from May 2010 onwards reflect this change.  6. Data extracts from earlier years (August 1992 and 1993) have a large number of cases with unrecorded ages. For August 1992 this accounts for 105,900 cases; for August 1993 this had dropped to 6,500 cases.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate: 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and WPLS 5% sample data.

Employment and Support Allowance: Visual Impairment

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the Employment and Support Allowance (Limited Capability for Work and Limited Capability for Work-related Activity) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 228, 2011), laid by his Department on 16 February 2011 on the numbers of blind and partially sighted individuals eligible for employment support allowance.

Chris Grayling: In March 2010, the Department published a Department-led review of the work capability assessment. This made recommendations for improving the work capability assessment including making greater provision for individuals awaiting or in between courses of chemotherapy, those receiving residential treatment for drug or alcohol misuse and individuals with severe mental health conditions or communication difficulties. The review also made recommendations to take greater account of how an individual has adapted to their condition and to simplify some of the descriptors. These changes came into force on 28 March 2011.
	The initial estimates predicted that overall the changes would result in a five percentage point increase in the proportion of new claims to employment and support allowance assessed as fit for work and a half a percentage point increase in the proportion assessed to be in the support group. More information can be found in the impact assessment that accompanied the regulations at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-ia-eia.pdf
	The estimates were not broken down by particular health conditions so the expected effect of these changes on the eligibility of blind and partially sighted individuals is not available.
	Data on the results of the work capability assessments completed since 28 March are not yet available, but the Department will continue to monitor the outcomes of work capability assessments.

Housing Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receiving (a) housing benefit but not council tax benefit, (b) council tax benefit but not housing benefit and (c) housing benefit and council tax benefit have benefit withdrawal rates of more than 40 per cent. against marginal income.

Steve Webb: The following table provides the number of working age customers who are employed and in households receiving HB and/or CTB with marginal deduction rates (MDRs) of more than 40%.
	
		
			 Benefit MDR > 40% (Number) 
			 HB only 400,000 
			 CTB only 100,000 
			 HB and CTB 200,000 
			 Notes: 1. The numbers are rounded to the nearest 100,000. 2. The numbers are for 2008-09. 3. Due to the impact on the marginal deduction rates, these numbers exclude households with disabled adults or children, students and those who report self-employed income or who are not in employment. Source: The Department's Policy Simulation Model (version 10.2.0)

Jobcentre Plus: Manpower

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the factor by which the number of sanctions issued with respect to each working age benefit by each Jobcentre Plus office has changed in each quarter since the final quarter of 2009-10;
	(2)  how many sanctions were applied with respect to each working age benefit by each Jobcentre Plus office in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) the first three quarters of 2010-11.

Chris Grayling: Information by individual office is not available. The available information for jobseeker's allowance sanctions by Jobcentre Plus District has been placed in the Library. Sanctions data for income support and incapacity benefit sanctions are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on employment support allowance sanctions will be available for the first time on 18 May 2011.

Poverty: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to address child poverty; and what arrangements he has made to assess progress towards the Government's objectives on child poverty.

Maria Miller: The Government's child poverty strategy was published on 5 April, and can be found at:
	www.education.gov.uk/childpovertystrategy
	The strategy embodies our determination to tackle child poverty, as set out in the coalition's Programme for Government. It sets out how our radical reform programme will help to transform people's lives and break cycles of disadvantage.
	Our strategy focuses on the most vulnerable groups in society recognising that to help children who live in poverty we must; reform welfare to make work pay and helping those who are struggling to enter the labour market. We will give dignity to those who cannot be expected to work by bringing forward proposals to reform disability payments. For those who are able to work, we will provide targeted help to get the best outcomes for them and their families.
	We will do all in our power to increase the life chances of children by supporting vulnerable families through expanding the network of health visitors, targeting child care for the most disadvantaged and investing in early intervention. By increasing standards in education, we will raise children's aspirations and narrow the gaps in attainment which play such a crucial role in defining children's future lives.
	The strategy sets out a new, broader approach to measurement that goes beyond a narrow focus on income targets. We will develop better ways to measure poverty, including responding to Frank Field's recommendations on severe poverty and life chances indicators, to better capture the experience of living in poverty and reflect the Government's overarching commitment to increasing social mobility.

Social Security Benefits: Autism

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to support (a) people diagnosed with autism and (b) their families in the delivery of its services.

Maria Miller: In the Pension Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) we have existing specific learning provided by the Professionalism in Decision Making and Appeals (PIDMA) body within the former Disability and Carers Service (DCS). The course is Understanding Working Age and Child Customers which has a section on understanding the impact of a learning disability specifically covering Autistic spectrum disorders. This course is for all appropriate disability living allowance and attendance allowance decision making staff and covers all the issues to consider when deciding on entitlement to the benefit.
	Additionally we are currently building a modified and updated version of that learning product for our local service customer liaison managers (CLMs) to reflect their newly widened responsibilities for dealing with visits, where required, to all of the Department's “vulnerable client groups”. CLMs have received the existing PIDMA course above in the interim as part of the preparation for implementation for the new service. The new course is intended to build on that by providing learning more specifically tailored to visiting officers and part of a whole suite of new learning products for Local Service to be delivered from autumn 2011 onwards. Consequently, this learning does cover the issues visiting officers need to cover with the families of children with Autism. For example, topics included are:
	Common:
	Identifying needs that might arise from childhood impairments
	Understanding developmental milestones in childhood and how these are taken into account in assessing needs arising from disability
	Describing issues that might arise during visits to households with a disabled child
	Providing guidance in the completion of the DLA claim pack
	Specifically included in the course covering "Autistic Spectrum Disorders" are:
	Parents' attitude/concerns/protection of their disabled child.
	Discuss stereotyping—The living arrangements of the family what difference does this make?
	The grief/loss cycle and its impact on parents/making a claim for DLA.
	Tips for dealing with emotional customers
	Empathy—What is it? How to use empathy
	Local Service is the only direct customer facing service within PDCS. All other customer interaction is via correspondence, telephone or the internet with the sole exception of dealing with certain complaints, where face to face contact is required.
	Disability living allowance is paid on the basis of a persons need for help with care and mobility. It is not, in general, paid in respect of a particular diagnosis such as Autism. decision makers from the Pensions Disability and Carers Service, make decisions based upon the information supplied by the customer, in many cases using supporting evidence, for example a factual report from the applicants GP, to determine whether the applicants care and/or mobility needs are sufficient to justify an award.
	Jobcentre Plus is committed to providing individual tailored support to customers with autistic spectrum conditions using our services. We make required reasonable adjustments, including making use of the most suitable environment or premises for conducting interviews. Where individual customers ask us to we work with their families and representatives to facilitate access and participation with our services.
	Where family members are carers Jobcentre Plus will help support them so they are not forced into hardship by their role. Our Care Partnership Managers help develop services for carers by working in partnership with relevant organisations, assessing demand for support and encouraging the development of local services such as replacement care. They ensure advisers have comprehensive up to date knowledge, skills and local information in order to provide effective support for carers who would like to combine work with their caring responsibilities.
	We ensure our advisers are aware of the need to make suitable adjustments for people with autistic spectrum conditions. Our specialist disability employment advisers receive additional skills training including provision about autism.
	Our Raising The Game On Disability Seminars also promote disability awareness and confidence and are available to all Jobcentre Plus staff. The seminars feature advice on working with customers with Autism.
	In addition, if a person is in receipt of attendance allowance or DLA care component at the middle or highest rate, a second person, who may or may not be a family member, may be able to claim carer's allowance provided they satisfy the conditions of entitlement.
	In Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) one of the Commission's values is being client focused. In order to provide a first class service, we need to ensure our services are accessible to them. At the point that they first contact the Commission, clients are asked about their specific requirements to enable them to access Commission services.
	This information is taken from our 'Single Equality Scheme 2010 to 2013’ which is published on the Commission's website.

Corporation Tax

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the extent of avoidance of corporation tax by businesses trading in the UK.

David Gauke: Corporation tax is chargeable on the taxable profits of liable companies and organisations based in the UK and on the taxable profits arising from the UK activities of liable non UK based companies and organisations.
	HMRC estimate that the annual corporation tax gap as a result of avoidance by businesses managed by HMRC's Large Business Service was £2.9 billion in 2008-09. This estimate was published in 'Measuring Tax Gaps 2010'
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps-2010.htm.pdf
	in September 2010. The Large Business Service is responsible for over 770 of the largest businesses that pay a significant proportion of the total business taxes and duties that HMRC collects.
	In addition, HMRC published an illustrative estimate of £0.7 billion for the annual corporation tax gap in 2008-09 due to avoidance by large and complex businesses. These businesses are smaller than those managed by the Large Business Service but have annual turnover in excess of £30 million or have at least 250 employees.
	An estimate of the corporation tax gap due to avoidance by small and medium-sized businesses has not been produced.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Conor Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department assessed the merits of raising the top rate of income tax to a rate higher than 50 per cent.

David Gauke: In an age when businesses, capital and people are increasingly mobile, high tax rates send a negative signal to individuals and businesses who are looking to work and invest in the UK. The Government believe 50% rate would do lasting damage to the UK's economy if it were to become permanent.
	That is why the Chancellor made clear in his Budget 2011 speech that the 50% rate is a temporary measure, and has asked HM Revenue and Customs to assess the revenue it raises when self assessment data for the 2010-11 tax year is available.

Revenue and Customs: Training

Greg Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to his Department was of training for HM Revenue and Customs staff in self-defence techniques in 2010-11; what type of training is provided; and who provides such training.

David Gauke: holding answer 16 May 2011
	Only a small proportion of HMRC officers receive physical self-defence training. The total number is approximately 1,250 individuals, some 2% of total HMRC staffing.
	The vast majority of those who receive training do so because they are required to conduct arrests using the powers contained in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, or equivalent powers in Northern Ireland and Scotland. The remainder are trained because the risk assessment relating to their work indicates that such training is necessary for their own safety.
	The Department currently has eight senior instructors, who are trained by the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) in the ACPO-approved Personal Safety Techniques curriculum. This incurred a one-off cost of approximately £1,500 per senior instructor. By successfully completing this training, these officers are accredited “trainers of trainers”, so they are able to train and accredit other HMRC staff to act as instructors. The Department currently has approximately 50 such instructors, a number of whom are currently under training.
	All of the techniques taught are within the ACPO approved Personal Safety Training manual. However, only the techniques appropriate to HMRC officers' roles and powers are taught.
	The costs to HMRC for this training fall under two general headings: payments to the NPIA for the training of senior instructors; and payment for the hire of suitable venues to carry out the training. In 2010-11, the Department paid approximately £6,000 to the NPIA for the training of four senior instructors, and £32,250 to various venues, mainly private gymnasiums.

Arms Trade: Export Controls

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish the next quarterly Country Pivot Report on strategic export controls.

Mark Prisk: The next quarterly Country Pivot Report on strategic export controls covering data for licences issued, refused and revoked is due to be published in week beginning 4 July. This report will cover data from January to March. Thereafter data are published with a three month time-lag i.e. data covering April to June is due to be published in October and so on.

Departmental Data Protection

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department holds which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; to which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each such contract is held; and how many people have their data stored overseas under each such contract.

Edward Davey: The Department is unable to categorically state the contracts or contractors which allow the storage of personal data overseas. Information and communications technology and estate contracts are managed centrally and, for those, we are not aware of any personal data being stored overseas. As all other contracts are not managed or held centrally, the detailed information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met representatives of any company providing for-profit higher education in the United States since his appointment; whether they have met representatives of (i) Bridgepoint, (ii) Lincoln, (iii) Kaplan, (iv) Corinthian, (v) Apollo, (vi) Kaiser, (vii) Education Management Corporation, (viii) Rasmussen, (ix) Career Education Corporation and (x) Westwood in that period to discuss possible operations in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 17 May 2011
	I have met with representatives of Apollo Group Inc. Separately, I have met with representatives of Kaplan UK and Kaplan Europe but not their US parent corporation, Kaplan Inc. I have also met with a representative of Education Management Corporation. I have not held official meetings with representatives of the other specific bodies referred to.
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and I meet regularly with a wide range of providers of higher education in the UK and internationally as part of our efforts to encourage a more diverse and competitive higher education sector in England. The Department does not hold comprehensive information on whether higher education providers which, Ministers have met, are classed as for-profit or not-for-profit institutions. A quarterly-updated list of all BIS ministerial meetings with external organisations is also available at:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/disclosure-ministerial-external-meetings-department-for-business

Intellectual Property and Growth Review

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will schedule publication of his Department's response to the Review of Intellectual Property and Growth by Ian Hargreaves to enable scrutiny of the review by select committees and others to be taken into account in the response.

Edward Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), published the Review of Intellectual Property and Growth (“the Hargreaves Review”) yesterday; copies were placed in both Libraries of the House.
	The Government will publish their substantive response before the parliamentary recess. That substantive response will reflect the need for any further consultation. We do not believe the timing of the Government's response will prevent any interested party, including select committees, from scrutinizing the Hargreaves Review itself.

EU Defence Policy

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the EU Military Committee meeting with Chiefs of Defence from EU member states on 3 May 2011; what framework is in place for the pooling and sharing of military resources across the EU; what access to UK military resources he has given to other EU countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gerald Howarth: The EU Military Committee meeting with Chiefs of Defence on 3 May 2011 covered two main topics: capabilities and operations. The session on capabilities focussed wholly on pooling and sharing of military capabilities, where member states showed broad support for the initiative. Chiefs of Defence also discussed current operations.
	Although work is under way in the EU and NATO to improve the transparency of current pooling and sharing activities among member states and to generate opportunities for the pooling and sharing of military capabilities in the future, there is no specific framework in place in Europe for the pooling and sharing of military resources. Decisions concerning military capabilities to be pooled and shared are subject to, and potentially constrained by, matters of national sovereignty. Although the work is being co-ordinated by these institutions, we are clear that the initiative must be member state driven, and conducted voluntarily.
	As at 12 May 2011, the UK contributes to the following military Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions: Operation ALTHEA (peacekeeping in Bosnia), Operation ATALANTA (counter-piracy off Somalia) and EUTM Somalia (training Somali security forces in Uganda).

Hard and Soft Power

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the relative merits of (a) hard and (b) soft power.

Gerald Howarth: The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review took decisions on defence, security, intelligence, resilience, development and foreign affairs capabilities in the round. Since this Government took office the Ministry of Defence has reinvigorated its focus on the role which Defence diplomacy can play in promoting the United Kingdom's interests.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 418W, on Libya: armed conflict, whether officials of his Department have had discussions with their counterparts in (a) the US Administration and (b) governments of other countries that are part of the coalition for military action in Libya on policy on the use of depleted uranium weapons; whether his Department has received any reports on the use of depleted uranium weapons by coalition partners; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Defence officials routinely undertake policy discussions with their counterparts in foreign governments across a full range of issues, including matters relating to Libya. It would not be appropriate to disclose details of these discussions or any official reporting received from governments in the coalition for military action in Libya.
	As I have stated previously, it is a matter for other nations to decide for themselves what weapons they deploy. The UK is not itself using depleted uranium weapons in Libya.

Carbon Emissions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the Carbon Trust's analysis of trends in total UK emissions including imports up to the 2020s; if he will request the Committee on Climate Change to investigate the issue of outsourced emissions; and what action his Department is taking to address such emissions.

Gregory Barker: DECC recognise the importance of the impact on emissions of the whole life cycle of the products we consume, and the increasingly global nature of supply chains means that there is a more and more complex picture of where in the life history of a product the emissions actually arise. The Government's Sustainable Consumption Programme is working to identify and help reduce the lifecycle carbon and other environmental impacts that are associated with UK consumption, wherever in the world those impacts occur.
	However, the approach agreed internationally—under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto protocol—is for countries to work towards emission reduction targets related to direct emissions within their territories.
	DECC is pushing strongly at the international level for an ambitious global agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which will ensure that action is taken to tackle climate change regardless of where products are produced.
	The work programme for the CCC is planned and managed through an annual business planning process agreed between the Government, devolved Administrations and the CCC. The Government have no immediate plans to ask the CCC to undertake work on embedded emissions.